Pneu-Dart Model 389
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 483 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
- Introduced
- Not recorded
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Pneu-Dart Model 389 is a cartridge-fired remote drug delivery (RDD) projector rifle used to deliver tranquilizer, vaccine and medication darts to livestock and wildlife. A hinged, break-open breech-loading barrel of 13mm bore accepts any size RDD dart, and CCI .22 caliber blank power loads propel the dart, with a five-position power control and Airflow Control Ports (ACP) at the muzzle to reduce dart tail-kick. It ships on a composite-stocked .22 rimfire-derived rifle platform with a mounted 3-9x40mm scope and is effective from close range out to roughly 70 yards with a 1cc Type 'C' dart.
Pneu-Dart of Williamsport, Pennsylvania has built pneumatic and cartridge-fired dart projectors for veterinary and wildlife capture work since the late 1960s; the Model 389 is marketed as its most versatile, accurate and consistent cartridge-fired projector.
Not a conventional firearm: the .22 blank supplies propellant gas only and does not fire a bullet; the projectile is a self-contained drug-delivery dart. Recommended CCI charge levels are Brown (level 2), Green (level 3) and Yellow (level 4). Available with black or camouflage stock and blued or electroless-nickel metalwork.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Pneu-Dart, Inc.
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 483 mm
- Overall length
- 965 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Break action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 1
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 64 m
- Maximum range
- 91 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Airflow control ports
Hinged break open breech
Five position power control
3-9x40mm scope
Quick detach sling swivels
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,612 rifles | 3.40 kg | 3.50 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 965 mm | 1080 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 483 mm | 584 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 1 | 5 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Pneu-Dart Model 389
How much does the Pneu-Dart Model 389 weigh?
The Pneu-Dart Model 389 weighs 3.40 kg (7.50 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Pneu-Dart Model 389?
The Pneu-Dart Model 389 is chambered in .22 Blank Projector Charge.
How many rounds does the Pneu-Dart Model 389 hold?
The Pneu-Dart Model 389 holds 1 rounds.
How long is the Pneu-Dart Model 389?
The Pneu-Dart Model 389 is 965 mm (38.0 in) long overall, with a 483 mm (19.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Pneu-Dart Model 389?
The Pneu-Dart Model 389 is made by Pneu-Dart, Inc. (United States).
How does the Pneu-Dart Model 389 operate?
The Pneu-Dart Model 389 uses a break action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Wildlife management and veterinary services
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
60%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/pneu-dart-model-389' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "pneu-dart-model-389", "name": "Pneu-Dart Model 389", "manufacturer": { "id": "pneu-dart", "name": "Pneu-Dart, Inc.", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1967, "website": "https://www.pneudart.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "updatedAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "version": "0072826e4c4ea7e819429b0888c5c8e5396f4f031c8e398e47606ac3510f85fe" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": null, "barrel_length_mm": 483, "weight_empty_g": 3402, "action_type": "break_action"}